Va. Sens. push offshore drilling

Bill would allow leasing sites off Virginia in 2012

U.S. Sens. Jim Webb and Mark Warner, both Virginia Democrats, introduced legislation to compel the federal government to open Virginia's coast to oil and natural gas exploration.

In a joint statement issued Wednesday, the senators said the United States can reduce its reliance on foreign oil and cut trade deficits by tapping into domestic energy reserves.

"We must pursue robust policies that include the expansion of our domestic energy resources in a safe and secure manner even as we develop conservation, renewable and efficient energy measures," Webb said.

The bill comes seven weeks after Democrat senators rejected similar legislation approved by the Republican-led House of Representatives. Unlike the failed GOP bill, Webb and Warner's proposal would direct to Virginia 50 percent of the revenues generated from offshore drilling.

Neither Webb nor Warner estimated how much money Virginia might receive or how many jobs the industry might create.

Citing data from the Southeast Energy Alliance, Gov. Bob McDonnell previously said that 80 percent of Virginia's share of revenues would equal $132 million annually. According to a 2010 state law, that money would be directed to transportation projects while the remaining 20 percent would be used to promote offshore wind power.

Like McDonnell previously, the senators called on the Department of Interior to expand the 2.9-million acres — a tract slightly larger than Delaware — under consideration for drilling. Located 50 miles off Virginia's shore, the area could provide 6.5 days worth of oil and 18 days of natural gas for the U.S., according to decades old seismic data.

The senators also directed the Interior Department to begin leasing sites off the coast as early as 2012. The plan may face resistance from inland lawmakers, such as Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-New Mexico, who previously fought efforts to give Virginia a share of drilling revenues.

Virginia was set to become the first Atlantic coast state to allow offshore drilling but the Deepwater Horizon accident, which killed 11 and sent a deluge of oil into the gulf last year, prompted the Obama administration to shelve the plan.

Environmental activists, citing the growing demand for oil in China, India, and other countries, said offshore drilling will do little to bring down high gasoline prices. They said the U.S. should invest in renewable energy sources.

"People still remember the disaster in the gulf coast just last year and do not want to see a similar tragedy visited upon Virginia Beach," Glen Besa, director of Sierra Club's Virginia chapter, said in a statement.

Both the Navy and NASA previously expressed concerns about the proposed drilling area. The Navy conducts training exercises off the coast while NASA launches rockets from Wallops Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore.